The primary activity of Empira is to research, develop and implement customized clinical pathways and educational programs from the most recent evidence based practices in the field of gerontological research. Through data analysis, direct observations, root cause analysis, and clinical and operational audits, areas offering the greatest need for improvement will be identified.
Empira has developed educational programs in the areas of continence, clinical assessment, falls prevention, pain management, skin conditions, infection control, restorative care and wellness. Where applicable, educational programs will encompass care and services in settings across the entire care spectrum. Key to bringing this educational process alive in the organizations is the existence of facility coordinators. These coordinators are charged with developing the facilities' plan of action for implementing the program, recommending interventions, and serving as an ongoing resource for the specific program.
The facility team members will receive practical training in the areas of anatomy and physiology, root cause analyses, evidence based practices, pathways for implementation, quality assurance auditing tools, data gathering and data analysis. They also will receive skills in the areas of change management, plan preparation, deployment, adult learning needs, decision-making, and problem solving. Based on the specific program's content, these educational sessions will be offered numerous times over a one or two-day period at various locations in and around the Minneapolis and St. Paul areas.
Continuous Evaluation and Process Improvement:
Empira tracks key indicators in clinical, financial, and human resource areas to monitor program effectiveness. These measures help to ensure that the desired outcomes are being achieved and provide data to help facilitate modifications and improvements. This data will be shared amongst the organizations allowing them to compare results and quantifiably demonstrate improvement in different outcomes. Empira will identify best practices as well as less effective measures , which will be shared with the entire group. These key indicators will be compared to national, state and other benchmarked data where common definitions of data exist.
Operations:
Cindy Morris is the Executive Director of Empira. Sue Ann Guildermann is the Director of Education and oversees the educational activities of Empira. Melinda Jaeger is the Director of Rehab Services. The Board of Directors, whose membership includes the CEOs/Key Leaders of the collaborating organizations, provides direction and vision. A Clinical Advisory Committee has been created to provide advisory support to the Empira Board of Directors. This Advisory Committee will includes representation from the medical, research, and academic environments. Subcommittees to the Board of Directors have been created representing Operations and Educational Resources. These committees will provide guidance and resources to implement the program's objectives. The Executive Director, Education Director and Rehab Director will all work closely with the individual corporate consultants to provide synergy and continuity to the training.
Financial:
Empira's program and activities are intended to improve the health and well-being of older adults and are not directed to financially benefit any of Empira's sponsoring members. The five sponsoring organizations provide ongoing necessary funds and staff time for the research and development of Empira. A valuable resource for Empira is the expertise of its membership employees. A number of these employees contribute to the educational forums as presenters and teachers. Empira members also provide the resources to gather data, conduct surveys, and measure indicators from their respective facilities and services.
Data Analysis:
Data collection and analysis is an important activity for Empira. It forms the basis for many of the root cause analyses that are conducted. It is the intent of Empira to quantifiably demonstrate improvement and to use this information as evidence based practice to improve the services we offer.
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